General News of 2026-09-22
Why you should stop ‘patronising’ street beggars - GIS explains
The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has urged the public to stop giving money directly to migrant street beggars, especially children, warning that some of them may have been trafficked and are being exploited.
Speaking in a video sighted by GhanaWeb on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, Deputy Comptroller-General of the GIS, Faisal Disu, said giving money to the beggars encourages them to remain on the streets because begging has become a source of income for some of them.
Watch as immigration officers storm the streets of Accra to remove beggars
He said the GIS had carried out an operation in the past three weeks to remove street beggars but many have returned to the streets.
“The last three weeks the Ghana Immigration Service did an operation to remove the street beggars but we are realizing that it's more reactionary. We'll get them out, and they come back because it is lucrative. People would give out alms and then all those things,” he said.
Disu cautioned the public that they may not know how the money given to some of the beggars is being used.
“I just want to caution members of the general public that you don't know what that money you are given is going to be used for. Most of the children you see have been trafficked from their home countries and they are here being exploited,” he cautioned.
He urged people who want to support vulnerable children and others in need to channel their donations through social welfare institutions and orphanages instead of giving money directly to street beggars.
“So, if you give out alms to those Nigeriens and all that, you may be helping to perpetrate ill or evil of other people. Please, if you have alms to give, you can go to social welfare. There are so many orphanages that I believe you can do the charity work instead of giving them [alms],” he added.
Disu also warned that allowing children to remain on the streets could have serious consequences as they grow older.
He said some of the children could become hardened and later turn to crime if they are not removed from the streets and given the needed support.
GIS arrests 1,055 in crackdown on migrant street begging networks
“Remember these kids that you see; if nothing is done in 10 years’ time, they won't be asking you for money, but they'll be grown and hardened [criminals], and they may be demanding your phone, your wallet, and things like this. So please, let's all work together to get them off the streets,” he noted.
MAG/VPO
Why Is Flying Within Ghana So Expensive? AWA Founder Explains
